Cynthia has combined her interest in the ever
evolving new technologies and her passion for politics to create an
Internet Radio Talk show that will create a new paradigm in which to
inform New Yorkers on what is going on at the State Capital.Website: www.focusonalbany.com

Ordinance No. 26.31.17 Rezone Albany , should be held in Committee for theremainder of 2017.

The City of Albany is facinginsolvency with a 12.5 milliondollar gap in the 2017 Citybudget and facing the loss of7 million dollars in federalaid because of the Mayor andCommon Council proclaimingAlbany to be a Sanctuary City.

The existing Albany City ZoningCode and Official City ZoningMap protect the home valuesneighborhood residential integrityand quality of life, and city propertytax base of single family residentialzoned districts located in Wards 89, 12, 13, 14 and 15, which pay thelion's share of property taxes thatsupport City schools and Citygovernment services.

The Mayor is pushing for rapidapproval of her Rezone initiativein April.

The Common Council shouldnot take any further action onthe Rezone Albany ProposedOrdinance this year.

The Common Council PlanningEconomic Development and LandUse Committee should not reportthe proposed Rezone AlbanyOrdinance Code and Map.Table it!

2017 is a local election year forthe Mayor, Common CouncilPresident and all 15 ward representatives.

The priority issue is restoringthe fiscal solvency of the Cityof Albany.

Sanctuary City policy, Consolidationof City Schools with City governmentand Proposed Rezone Albany effortneed to be thoroughly examineddiscussed and debated.

The candidates for citywide andward council seats need to make surethat their positions on the above areknown and understood by the votersand truly represent the needs andviews of those voters.

Public knowledge of candidate positionson these and related issues are essentialfor voters to make informed choiceswhen signing petitions in June to qualify candidates for the SeptemberPrimaries and voting for candidatesin the September Party Primaries andNovember General Election.

It would be foolhardy, an injusticeand irresponsible, to rush to repealthe existing City Zoning Code andCity Zoning Map, and replace it withproposed Rezone Albany Ordinanceand Official Zoning Map, without afull understanding of how such actionmay adversely impact neighborhoodresidential integrity and quality oflife, home values, the City propertytax base, City schools, City servicesand efforts to restore City fiscalsolvency.Compare the existing City ZoningCode and Zoning Mapwith the proposed Rezone Albany Code/Map.

Adoption of the proposed RezoneAlbany Code and Zoning Map woulddestroy the current protections thatthe existing City Zoning Code/Mapaffords neighborhood residentialintegrity, quality of life, home valuesand the property tax base that contributesto support of city schools and city services.Problems of out of control speedingtraffic, traffic congestion and pedestriansafety would be multiplied by theenactment of the proposed RezoneAlbany Code and Zoning Map.Compliance with the complicatednew Code and Zoning Map wouldadversely impact present and futurehomeowners, particularly the elderlyon fixed incomes, who make up alarge proportion of the neighborhoodpopulation.

In essence adoption of Rezone Albanyand addition of currently not permittedmixed use zones in currently zoned R IBsingle family zoning districts will killthe "golden goose" of such neighborhoodsthat pay the lion's share of property taxesthat support City Schools and Citygovernment services.

Not a wise move for an insolvent City.

The Common Council Planning andZoning Committee should Table andnot report the proposed Rezone AlbanyCode/Map for the rest of 2017.

The merits of retaining the existing R-1Bsingle zoning in Wards 4, 8,9,12, 13,14and 15 should be thoroughly evaluateddebated and understood. Candidates forCitywide and Ward offices should stakeout their positions on this issue so thatCity voters can make informed decisionswhen signing petitions to qualify candidatesfor the ballot, and voting in the Septemberprimaries and November General Election. The focus should be on restoring thefiscal solvency of the City of Albany andrelated issues of sanctuary city policiesconsolidation of City schools with Citygovernment, security and public safetytraffic control and pedestrian safety.and property tax relief. Joe Sullivan

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

REZONE ALBANYPAY ATTENTIONNOW OR PAY LATER UPDATE" At the Mayor'sdirection, the Council enactedRezone Albany by a vote of 12 to 3 on May 15,

The Rezone Albany effortOrd. 26.31.17 is moving ahead quickly.

The City Planning BoardPublic Hearing will be heldat City Hall Tues, March 285:30 PM.

The Common Council PublicHearing will be held at CityHall, Mon, April 3, 7 PM.

Go online to view the zoningdistrict map. Pay close attentionto definitions and permitteduses in each proposed zoningdistrict.

http://www.rezonealbany.com/

The Bach Public Library hasthe details available also, forthose who wish to view hardcopies.

The proposed rezone Albanychanges will impact ourneighborhood residential andintegrity and quality of lifeas well as your property valuesand property taxes.

Neighborhood residents areurged to submit your commentsobjections and recommendationsto the Planning Board andCommon Council, in writingfor entry into the hearingrecord before the hearings.

You may attend the hearingsand comment, but be advisedthat the Common CouncilChamber public section isextremely small with limitedseating.

Read my March 6 post thiswebsite:

HOME OWNERS BEWARE OF REZONE ALBANY

Current R 1B Single family residentialzoning districts exist to protect theresidential integrity, quality of lifehome values and city property taxbase.

Single family residential zonedneighborhoods, like ours, pay thelion's share of property taxes thatsupport city government servicesand city schools.Neighborhood residents are urgedto study the proposed Rezone Albanychanges that pertain to our existingsingle family residential zoning district.

http://rezonealbany.com/Be prepared to oppose any changesthat would dilute the protections thatthe existing zoning affords our, andsimilarly zoned single family residentialdistricts.Read:http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Albany-aims-to-replace-antiquated-zoning-10981177.phpMayor Sheehan is quoted as saying ....."Sometimes we found the enemy, andthe enemy is us...." The Mayor is spoton with this self analysis.The statement of City Zoning AppealsBoard, chairman, Richard Berkley saying"the new rules would focus on what Albanywants to see built in various neighborhoods"is further evidence that the present CityAdministration is the enemy of home ownersin existing single family residential zoningdistricts in the City of Albany.Home owners should have the last wordregarding what can not be built in theirneighborhoods...not an elitist Mayorand her elitist political appointees.

The Common Council should table theRezone Albany proposal.Any proposed zoning changes shouldappear as November General Electionballot propositions in the variousneighborhoods/wards impactedby those proposed changes.

Monday, March 06, 2017

HOME OWNERS BEWARE OF REZONE ALBANY

Current R 1B Single family residentialzoning districts exist to protect theresidential integrity, quality of lifehome values and city property taxbase.

Single family residentially zonedneighborhoods, like ours, pay thelion's share of property taxes thatsupport city government servicesand city schools.Neighborhood residents are urgedto study the proposed Rezone Albanychanges that pertain to our existingsingle family residential zoning district.

http://rezonealbany.com/Be prepared to oppose any changesthat would dilute the protections thatthe existing zoning affords our, andsimilarly zoned single family residentialdistricts.Read:http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Albany-aims-to-replace-antiquated-zoning-10981177.phpMayor Sheehan is quoted as saying ....."Sometimes we found the enemy, andthe enemy is us...." The Mayor is spoton with this self analysis.The statement of City Zoning AppealsBoard, chairman, Richard Berkley saying"the new rules would focus on what Albanywants to see built in various neighborhoods"is further evidence that the present CityAdministration is the enemy of home ownersin existing single family residential zoningdistricts in the City of Albany.Home owners should have the last wordregarding what can not be built in theirneighborhoods...not an elitist Mayorand her elitist political appointees.

The Common Council should table theRezone Albany proposal.Any proposed zoning changes shouldappear as November General Electionballot propositions in the variousneighborhoods/wards impactedby those proposed changes.